Reflecting on his life's work as a reporter, including thirty-two years with the Detroit Free Press, journalist John Gallagher merges memoir with an insider's account of the challenges and triumphs of Detroit and other Rust Belt cities. Beginning with his first job in 1974 in Chicago, with subsequent stops in Rochester and Syracuse, New York, this witty and exciting chronicle details his experiences through notable breaking stories like the troubled Kilpatrick administration, newspaper strikes, automotive bailouts, and the bankruptcy of Detroit. From the early days when reporters called in stories on pay phones to today's revenue-generating affiliate commissions, his memoir serves as a documentary of this turbulent journalistic era and sheds light on a path forward. Alongside sage insight into the difficulties and decline of traditional media, Gallagher's experience and advice inspires hope, often underscoring and celebrating the surprising and happy reinvention of heartland cities like Detroit.